Update: 17 Indian army personnel killed in fire at military ammunition depot

At least 17 Indian Army personnel were killed and 19 others injured in a massive fire at a military ammunition depot in the western state of Maharashtra on Tuesday, a senior police official said.

"The fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. local time at the Central Ammunition Depot, India's biggest ammunition depot, at Pulgaon in the state, following an explosion and then spread quickly. Seventeen charred bodies have been recovered so far. The dead included two senior army officials," he said.

The death toll may go up as the condition of some of the injured, who are currently recuperating at hospitals, are said to be serious, he said.

Local TV channels showed footage of the raging fire and reported that several fire tenders have been pressed into service to bring the blaze under control. Around 1,000 people from a nearby village have also been evacuated, the reports said.

The cause of the fire is not known but a major probe has been ordered into the incident, the police official said. Enditem